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Save Time and Reach New Audiences By Repurposing Existing Content
By Michele Martin | November 21, 2007
As we discussed the other day, a lot of people shy away from blogging because they worry that they don’t have the time. One of the strategies I suggested for dealing with this issue was to repurpose existing content–that is, to use materials you’ve already created and turn them into blog posts.
Another major advantage of re-using content is that it allows you to reach new audiences. I may have missed that book you wrote, but if you turn parts of it into blog posts, I’m more likely to find you AND potentially buy your book. This can breathe new life into old projects and attract a completely new group of people to your ideas and approach.
Where Do I Find Old Content?
Depending on your professional level and previous experience, blog fodder is probably littering your office. You can find it in the:
- Books, articles and reports you’ve written,
- Newsletters
- Emails
- Research notes
- Conference presentations.
- Audio and video recordings
If your profession involves creating these kinds of materials, you’ll probably be shocked at what already exists to make your blogging job easier.
What Can I Do With These Materials?
Once you’ve gone through your old content, start thinking about new ways of using it. You can:
- Republish articles “as is” if you own the copyright. If not, see if you can get permission from the publisher, who will probably be thrilled to find that your blog posts may drum up additional interest in your previous materials.
- Edit the original piece to be more “blog friendly,” using a more informal, conversational tone.
- Rewrite your information for a different audience–maybe simplifying more advanced materials for beginning readers who visit your blog.
- Take a multimedia approach by creating a short podcast or video that builds upon your original work or simply converts it to an audio format.
- Expand on notes and emails you may have written as part of thinking about an issue or planning for an article.
You Can Remix Blog Posts Too
Once you get into the remix mode, you’ll realize that repurposing content isn’t a one way street. You can republish blog posts as articles for both on and off-line publications. You can also turn posts or a series of posts into books, ebooks, How-To Guides, online seminars and workshops, and reports.
Learn More
To learn more about repurposing content, try these articles:
- What is the Fastest, Easiest Way to Repurpose Content? Be sure to read the section on how you could take a single article and turn it into several different publications.
Do you currently repurpose content for your blog? If so, let us know how you do it by dropping us a line in comments.
Topics: Blog Content |
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:17 am
I need to remind myself to do more of this. Instead I sit around agonizing trying to think up something new. I’m sure there is a treasure trove of blog post fodder on almost everyone’s hard drives, not to mention in the file folders. Start digging!
December 13th, 2007 at 12:57 am
Good point , thank a lot,
To your success,
Tracy Ho
wisdomgettingloaded